ESCONDIDO: District considers using dogs to find contraband at middle schools

Trustees in the Escondido Union School District may consider
bringing contraband-sniffing dogs onto middle school campuses after
a presentation by a canine handler Thursday.

"I think it would be appropriate for staff to discuss it and
come back with a recommendation," Trustee Marv Gilbert said, adding
that any decision should be made before the start of school.

Christine Schulz and her golden retriever Quynn told trustees
about her business, Interquest Detection Canines of San Diego,
which already provides dogs for the Escondido Union High School
District and several other districts in the county.

As Quynn sometimes rolled on his back playfully next to her,
Schulz told trustees that she visits schools for $400 a day with a
dog to detect drugs, alcohol and firearms on campus.

She does not go into elementary schools and never has the dog
sniff students, she said. In middle schools where there are no
lockers, Schulz said she takes a dog around the perimeter of the
school and parks within 1,000 feet of school property. She also
takes them into bathrooms and classrooms after students have
left.

Gilbert asked how the dogs could detect whether a student were
carrying drugs, since they are not allowed to directly sniff
people. Schulz replied that anything the student had touched,
including backpacks or even a pencil, is likely to still have a
scent of the substance on it, which would lead to that student
being suspected of carrying something.

The dogs are trained with toys that contain the scent of certain
drugs, alcohol and gunpowder, so they think they are looking for
their toys when searching schools, Schulz said.

Also on Thursday, trustees heard an update on a study to
determine if the district's election system is in compliance with
the California Voting Rights Act.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Gina Manusov told
trustees that the study, expected to cost the district between
$27,000 and $35,000, was expected to be complete by the end of
August but is about six weeks behind.

If the study of demographics and voting patterns detects racial
polarization in elections, the district could stop holding at-large
elections. Instead, the district would be divided into sections,
with residents voting only for candidates from their section.

Trustees also heard a report about how parcel taxes could be
used to raise funds to operating expenses in the district.

According to the report, an annual $20 parcel tax could raise
$800,960, while a $100 parcel tax could raise $4 million.

The taxes could require support from two-thirds of the
district's voters.

Citing continued uncertainty about state funding, board
President Linda Woods said it was incumbent upon the board to ask
district residents if they would be willing to increase their taxes
for education.

The item was not before the board for a vote, but for
information only.

If the board does decide to put a parcel tax before voters, the
cost of the election would vary based on its date. Holding the vote
during a regular November election would cost $114,665, trustees
were told, while a special vote by mail election would cost
$246,755 and a special election at the polls would cost
$596,765.